Ajay River is a major river in Jharkhand and West Bengal. The word “Ajay” means “not conqurered”
It originates on a small hill about 300 metres high, south west of Munger in Bihar. It then flows through Jharkhand and enters West Bengal at Simjuri, near Chittaranjan. It first forms the border between Bardhaman District and Jharkhand and then between Bardhaman District and Birbhum District, and finally it enters Katwa subdivision of Bardhaman district at Nareng village in Ketugram police station. It then joins the Bhagirathi River at Katwa Town. Total length of the Ajay is 288 km, out of which 152 km is in West Bengal.
The important tributaries of the Ajay are Pathro and Jayanti in Jharkhand, and Tumuni and Kunur in Bardhaman district of West Bengal.
The upper reaches of the Ajay pass through hilly regions with latté rite soil. It is only from Ausgram in Bardhaman district that the Ajay flows through alluvial plains. The Ajay valley was densely forested with sal, piyasal and palas trees till recent times when mining and other activities led to the clearing of forests.
In the history of ancient India edited by Mc Krindle, there was a river called Amystis that flows past a town called Katadupa, in the days of Megasthenes. Another historian Wilfred opines that Amystis is modern day Ajay. In recent times there has been exploration of the remains of an ancient civilisation similar to that of the Indus Valley Civilisation at Pandu Rajar Dhibi in the lower Ajay valley.
There has been at least 14 recorded floods in the 20th century in the Ajay river. The lower reaches of the river have embankments to prevent flooding.
Kendubillo, claimed to be the birth place of the 13th century Sanskrit poet Jayadeva of Geeta Govinda fame, and Churulia, birth place of Kazi Nazrul Islam are located on the banks of the Ajay.
